


Closer To You

by Jam_sandwhich



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: Holding Hands, Hugging, M/M, NO KISSING CAUSE I'M A TEASE HA HA, kinda i guess, pinning, plz read this though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-18 00:33:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14201065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jam_sandwhich/pseuds/Jam_sandwhich
Summary: Richard is rioting against personal space and Jared is taking notice





	Closer To You

**Author's Note:**

> Fuck Richard's canon feelings ya' know?

Yes, Richard had spent several thousand of Pied Piper’s funds on Pizza. Yes, Richard was soon to be in charge of 50 plus employees. Yes, the new internet was getting nowhere fast, but Jared knows that he’s the only one who could properly handle Pied Piper. Richard was the leader of this ship and if Laurie Bream came and sank it with her cannonballs of mass destruction Jared would gladly go down with his captain. Richard on the other hand was not so unnerved to face the music. He’d thrown up already and it was only 12 pm. 

Usually he didn’t ask anyone to come along with him to briefings with Laurie and Monica. Jared was thinking about insisting he at least accompanied him halfway to Bream-Hall as he fixed Richard some Chamomile tea. Soon after Jared had taken the pot off the stove Richard appeared from the bathroom to ask if Jared would come along with him. 

Slumped in the seat of Jared’s car, Richard sat silently. Jared desperately wanted to reassure him that one dimensional slice line CEO deserved it. Kira was pushing Richard’s buttons, she shouldn’t have toyed with the deal and parted ways with her extra employees. Now they’re both out of a job and Richard has made his point. If Laurie revokes his leadership only because Richard defended his company… oh… Jared feels his face get hot just at the thought of it.  
“Jared,” Richard’s voice rings in defeat. It sounds the exact opposite as the day before when Richard was explaining what had happened at the bar. He was eccentric, he was a flame. Gilfoyle couldn’t even stop him from talking he was so excited and Jared doesn’t think he wanted to, everyone was captured by Richard’s assertiveness. Now he’s sulking before he has to face an irritable pregnant lady all because he did the right thing for the company, “can you walk me in?”  
“Of course Richard.” They both exit the car together and walk towards the building. As they near the entrance Richard slowly moves himself closer to Jared. In times of distress Richard would usually push Jared away when he tried to come in and comfort him. This is only a mental note, Jared definitely does not mind the change in his behavior. Richard suddenly grabs Jared’s hand. It’s moist with sweat and possibly a bit of saliva, but surprisingly soft for the hand of a coder. He must have been taking Jared’s advice to regularly moisturize his hands. As soon as Richard moves his hand to Jared’s, he feels it start to hesitate and slip out of his own. At the last moment Jared silently reassures him by wrapping his fingers around Richard’s hand.  
“It’s going to be okay.” Richard nods, trying to take Jared’s words to heart as they walk the rest of the way in.  
“Wish me luck.” He sighs letting go of Jared’s hand. Jared feels a twinge of longing for Richard’s touch again but immediately stifles it.  
“Aye aye captain.” Jared salutes him as he turns in.  
_______________

Richard was a man of his space, he always has been and Jared believed he always will be. When Richard came running out of Bream-Hall to hug Jared in excitement he was caught thoroughly off guard. It was the first time Jared had seen Richard run, now that he knew he would do so willingly he was going to force him out of the office for some physical exercise. It was something of a weight off his chest that Richard only had good news to share. And Richard way very close to him, closer than he’d ever been; it felt… nice.  
“Laurie’s not pregnant anymore and I can keep all my employees and there aren’t any repercussions!” Richard beams after letting go of him. Jared had only gotten half of what he said, if that, but he heard the important part.  
“That’s great Richard! I believe you’re going to be a bright light in these 50 new workers’ lives!” Richard’s face immediately turns pale, but he is still kind of smiling.  
“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”  
“Richard, the plants!”  
After sitting a bench outside the office for 10 minutes at least, Richard has returned to his normal color. Though neither of the two are proud of the mess Richard has made on the garden they find themselves laughing about it. Jared told Richard about his mad dash through Bream-Hall with plastic water cups in his hands to attempts to sooth him without tea. It seems to have worked since they both do have wide smiles on their face. Richard has his hand on Jared’s knee, originally to stable himself but now out of comfort.  
“Gosh that was embarrassing.” Richard giggles.  
“You’re putting yourself under a lot of pressure, you should practice some mindfulness at the office tomorrow.”  
“Thanks Jared,” Richard pauses and Jared is patient, “for caring about me and everything. You really don’t have to do all this stuff.”  
“I’m only doing what my captain needs of me.” They both look at each other. They both still have something more to say. Richard goes first.  
“No other reason?” When he asks he doesn’t meet Jared’s wanting gaze. He’d been doing so well, he had been acting so bold; but gave up just when Jared needed it most. He wishes he could tell Richard that he admires him beyond compare, that he was a bright light in his life after Hooli. And though he has his faults there’s something beautiful hidden within them. Of course Jared does what his CEO needs because he’s his employee, but followed him into Pied Piper out of love.  
Richard nods, mistaking Jared’s silence for an answer, and moves himself off of Jared’s legs. He feels cold without Richard’s warmth.  
“For other reasons too.” He rushes before Richard can get up to leave. Sometimes Jared would let himself dream of this situation: the moment when he finally admitted his love to Richard. It was usually at the hostile and one or two times it was in his own apartment. He never thought it would be outside in the open, half an hour after Richard had been sick over a flourishing garden of irises. He never thought Richard would get this red in his dreams, either; nor did he realistically think he’d take it this well.  
“Can I kiss you?” Only in his wildest fantasies he thought up in bed did he imagine Richard would look up to him the way he is now.  
“Yes,” Jared answers too quickly, “but can we save it for later? You might still be…”  
“Right,” Richard chuckles remembering what brought them to this moment, “let’s get home.” He says blushing.  
“Of course Captain.”


End file.
